Compare the2022 Chevrolet MalibuVS 2021 Mazda 6

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Malibu are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Chevrolet Malibu has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Compared to metal, the Malibu’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Mazda 6 has a metal gas tank.

Both the Malibu and the Mazda 6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Malibu is safer than the Mazda 6:

	Malibu	Mazda 6
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	18%	23%
Neck Stress	216 lbs.	266 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	36%	53%
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	107 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	162/232 lbs.	335/150 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Malibu is safer than the Mazda 6:

	Malibu	Mazda 6
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	27 G’s	36 G’s
Hip Force	549 lbs.	671 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Malibu’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Mazda 6’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 5 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Malibu’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Malibu second among midsize cars in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Mazda 6 isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 10th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 23rd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 14th.

Engine

The Malibu Premier’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 63 more horsepower (250 vs. 187) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 186) than the Mazda 6’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Chevrolet Malibu 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Mazda 6 4 cyl.:

	Malibu	6
Zero to 30 MPH	3.1 sec	3.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.4 sec	9.2 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.3 sec	5.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.6 sec	17.2 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Malibu gets better mileage than the Mazda 6:

		MPG
Malibu
	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/36 hwy
	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/33 hwy
Mazda 6
	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	26 city/35 hwy
	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Malibu 1.5 Turbo’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Malibu has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Malibu higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Mazda 6 (3 to 7). This means the Malibu produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Mazda 6 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Malibu Premier, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Mazda 6.

The Malibu has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Malibu stops much shorter than the Mazda 6:

	Malibu	Mazda 6
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	124 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Malibu’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Mazda 6 (245/45R18 vs. 225/55R17).

The Malibu’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mazda 6 Touring/Grand Touring/Signature/Carbon Edition’s 45 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Malibu Premier handles at .87 G’s, while the Mazda 6 Signature pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Malibu Premier executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Mazda 6 Touring (26.4 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Chassis

The Chevrolet Malibu may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 350 pounds less than the Mazda 6.

The front grille of the Malibu (except 2.0 Turbo) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Malibu LT is quieter than the Mazda 6 Grand Touring:

	Malibu	6
At idle	42 dB	42 dB
Full-Throttle	71 dB	80 dB
70 MPH Cruising	65 dB	69 dB

Passenger Space

The Malibu has 3.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Mazda 6 (102.9 vs. 99.8).

The Malibu has .7 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front hip room, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Mazda 6.

Cargo Capacity

The Malibu has a larger trunk than the Mazda 6 (15.7 vs. 14.7 cubic feet).

Towing

The Malibu has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The Mazda 6 has no towing capacity.

The Malibu Premier can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Malibu can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Mazda 6 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The Malibu has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The Mazda 6 doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

Ergonomics

The Malibu Premier’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Malibu’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Mazda 6 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Malibu and the Mazda 6 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Malibu is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Mazda 6 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Malibu LS/LT/Premier’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Malibu’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Mazda 6’s power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Consumer Reports rated the Malibu’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Mazda 6’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Malibu to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Malibu Premier is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Mazda 6’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Malibu Premier has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Malibu Premier has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Malibu Premier’s optional Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Mazda 6 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Malibu is less expensive to operate than the Mazda 6 because it costs $89 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Malibu than the Mazda 6, including $222 less for fuel injection, $118 less for a fuel pump, $17 less for a timing belt/chain and $209 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Chevrolet Malibu outsold the Mazda 6 by over three to one during the 2021 model year.